ECO Theology Task Force

A Purpose, A Clarification and An Invitation

The Purpose of this Discussion

To introduce the work of the Task Force

To clarify the use of the Essential Tenets and the

Book of the Confessions in ECO’s polity

To invite Presbyteries and Congregations into a

process of theological discernment concerning our

Confessional standards

The Purpose and Function

of the Theology Task Force

ECO Theology Task Force

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The Theological Task Force

Provide the opportunities and resources needed so that the ECO membership can engage in theological reflection.

When instructed by the Synod Executive Council or the Synod Assembly, create educational advisory resources for congregations as they live out their worship and sacramental life.

When instructed by the Synod Executive Council, advise the Synod body on theological implications of amendments to the polity, essentials tenets, confessional standards or other proposals.

Clarifying the Essential

Tenets and the Confessions

ECO Theology Task Force

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Presenting Questions

What is the functional role of the Essential Tenets

in the life of the Congregation?

What is the functional role of the Book of

Confessions now that we are bound by an

Essential Tenets document?

Both questions are addressed by the following

statement:

Essential Tenets Statement

In our denomination each ordained officer vows to

"receive, adopt, and be bound by the Essential

Tenets of the ECO (polity 2.0103c)," and to be "under

the authority of Scripture and guided by our

Confessions (polity 2.0103d)."

All officers are required to "adhere to the Essential

Tenets (polity 2.0101)" and ordaining bodies are

responsible to ensure the faithfulness of that

adherence. Covenant Partners who are invited into

"significant leadership roles in the congregation

shall...agree with the Essential Tenets (polity

1.0305)”.

In no part of ECO polity is there a sense that some

sections of the Essential Tenets are more important

than others. Our call is to be in agreement with the

whole document as a faithful expression of our

reformed faith, the Book of Confessions, and the

Word of God. The use of bold type in the Essential

Tenets is intended to highlight central themes and in

no way indicates that our agreement and adherence

is limited to these highlighted statements.

Agreement with and adherence to the Essential

Tenets is a direct affirmation of "the secondary

authority of the Book of Confessions (Essential

Tenets Section I, paragraph II) " which is declared to be

a "faithful exposition of the Word of God.”

Therefore, (1) Ordained officers in ECO are required

to affirm and be guided by the Book of Confessions.

(2) Ordained officers and Covenant Partners in

significant leadership positions should understand

our confessions to be a trustworthy system of

doctrine, subordinate to Scripture, which is the

foundation of the Essential Tenets.

The ECO Book of Confessions is the collection of

documents listed in the first paragraph of the

Confessional Standards.

Questions

Examples of questions related to the Essential

Tenets and the vows for Elders/Deacons/Staff:

Women in Ministry

Baptism

Marriage and Singleness

Towards a Theological

Consensus on the Confessions

ECO Theology Task Force

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First Task

When the Theology Project was first published in the

Spring of 2012, it defined its first task on behalf of

both the Fellowship and ECO:

identify the statements of our confessional heritage

that will connect us with the one holy catholic

apostolic church and express our distinctively

Reformed convictional documents in the Book of

Confessions as the appropriate theological

expression at this moment in our life together.

Second Task

Furthermore, it defined its second task in light of the

first:

identify and articulate the essentials of the

Reformed Faith as expressed in [The Book of

Confessions]. To this end, we offer a new naming

and explication of those essentials. This task helps

us keep the renewed covenant we make in the first

task.

Purpose

Among many reasons for retaining the Book of

Confessions, one was a desire for fellowship:

These creeds, confessions, and catechisms have

much-needed wisdom of proven worth for us, and

can uniquely serve as the central documents for a

new Fellowship that strives to retain meaningful

connections among congregations, some of whom

will be within the PC(USA), some of whom will be

in ECO.

Provisional

Yet, the TF knew that future revisions were possible:

We recognize that the Fellowship and/or ECO may,

after a time of building and testing theological

consensus among us, alter this judgment. But it is

our opinion that the theological consensus among

evangelicals has not been tested and, further, that

to presume a consensus where one does not exist is

to repeat one of the most significant theological

failures of our generation.

Book of Confessions

Now that ECO is over 200 churches, we believe that

the time of “building and testing theological

consensus among us” is upon us. We have received

requests from congregations and Presbyteries that

want to test whether the current Book of Confessions

is our theological consensus, particularly now that

the PC-USA’s confessional standards have changed

(with the addition of Belhar).

Towards a Consensus

The ECO Theology Task Force is producing a paper

that includes introductions to all eleven Confessions,

briefly discussing their historical development as

well as the Christian and Reformed theological

distinctives within them. This paper is meant to be

an educational resource for you as you engage with

your congregations and your Presbytery on what

should comprise our Book of Confessions.

Present Confessional Standards - 11

The Nicene Creed

The Apostle's Creed

The Scots Confession

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Second Helvetic Confession

The Westminster Confession of Faith

The Shorter Catechism

The Larger Catechism

The Theological Declaration of Barmen

The Confession of 1967

A Brief Statement of Faith (PCUSA)

Considerations

Two things to consider:

1. Our Essential Tenets document will always be

derived from and supported by the Confessions

we adhere to.

2. The important theological and missional decisions

defined within our Polity should always have

Confessional foundations. [Our Polity and our

Theology should not be opposed]

Proposed Timeline for

Discernment

ECO Theology Task Force

Proposed Timeline

Engage Presbyteries – Fall of 2015

Feedback of Presbytery Engagement to Synod –

Jan 2016

Task-Force suggestions to feedback and call for

further Presbytery discernment – 2016

Presbytery discussion and motions to remove

and/or recommend Confessions – 2017

Synod vote on Confessional Standards – Jan 2018

Closing Comments

Questions

ECO Theology Task Force